Windy Days On The Island
Greetings from the island everyone. I hope all of you are doing well and not getting blown away in these strong south winds we have been having lately. And then Mother Nature reminds us that Spring is not officially here yet, by blowing in a few strong northers lately, with winds 25-35 mph. These winds make for a very rough bay, and I’ve gotta use caution when I need to go across to the mainland.
The winds and weather cooperated a few weeks ago, and I was blessed with an island visit from some of the family. My younger sister and nephew from California, Darla and Stevie, and my Seadrift sister, Sherry, along with family friend, Eddie Ray, ventured out for a day trip. It was nice to visit with them and show them around the island house to see the recent changes and improvements that have been made. I hope they will come back soon, and bring Mom and Dad with them.
The tomato plants are all in the ground, 18 total and 5 different varieties, and they are doing very well. I’m having to keep them covered on some of these very windy days until they get stronger.
I’m very glad I had all of them covered two weeks ago when a really bad storm blew across the island at 2:00 am, with west winds easily 60-70 mph. Several places out here suffered roof damage and debris was blown everywhere. It was one of those unexpected severe Spring storms that occasionally happen.
The chickens are continuing to lay very well, averaging 12-14 eggs from the sixteen hens I have. I’ve also started getting 2-3 guinea eggs per day recently, a nice addition to the egg supply. Most people aren’t familiar with guinea eggs, and my Sunday morning breakfast group scoffed at trying them, so I gave a dozen to my friend, Earl, who loved them. He sent me a message a few days later asking to borrow a sledge hammer to break them open though, because guinea eggs are very tough shelled and require a stern whack to break them open.
I went across the bay just before sunup on April 1 to attend the Sunrise Service on Front Beach. It was a beautiful morning as I sat with friends Britton and Susan and enjoyed the amazing sunrise and inspiring service. It was a great turnout and I plan on making it a yearly tradition to attend.
My first hummingbird showed up at the island house a few weeks ago, feeding on the nectar from pretty Lantana flowers. I now have several hummers feeding on the flowers and at a feeder hanging by the porch. This beautiful Lantana bush started growing on its own without me planting it, I’m guessing the result of a bird “depositing” seeds in that spot one day last year. I’m happy to have it growing.
I want to say thank you to Ms. Donnelley from Sugar Land, TX., whom I met in Cathy’s restaurant, for her kind words and enthusiasm about the Island Life monthly articles. The primary reason that I continue to write these articles and share my island experiences, as boring as they often may be, is because of the continued appreciation of the Dolphin Talk readers in reading them. Thank you.
Well, that’s it from the island for now, everyone take care and have a great day.
